Apparatus for conditioning and dispensing lacquers, enamels, and the like



Sept. 27, 1938. E. D. HOLMES 1 2,131,662

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING AND DISPENSING LACQUERS. ENAMELS. AND THELIKE Filed March '7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. D. HOLMES Sept. 27, 1938.

APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING -AND DISPENSING LAOQUERS, ENAMELS, AND THELIKE Filed March 7, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITEDSTATE APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING AND ms- PENSING mcQUEns, nmmms, AND.'rnn LIKE Edward D. Holmes, Chicago, 111., assignor to Sherwin-WilliamsCompany, Cleveland, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application March I,

6 Claim.

This invention relates to the art of handling paints, lacquers, enamels,and the like for commercial use, and its purpose is to provide anapparatus by which a substantial number of different colors or kinds ofpaints and the like may be maintained in condition for immediate use andby which such paints may be delivered with the minimum loss of materialand of time consumed.

In large paint shops where commercial painting is carried on on a largescale, such, for in; stance, as in automobile body painting departments,different kinds or colors of paints are required at frequent intervals.The term paint, as herein employed, is used in a generic sense toinclude not only those pigment mixtures which are commercially known aspaints, but also lacquers, enamels, and the like, and in fact, any

pigment bearing liquid customarily used for surface coating purposes.

Paints of this character are usually marketed in containers varying insize from a half pint to flve gallons, and so far as the principle of myinvention is concerned, the size of the container is immaterial. Largeusers of paints, however, for the purpose with which my invention isconcerned, obtain their requirements in one gallon sizes of therectangular or what is commonly known as square can type. Forillustrative purposes, therefore, this type of container has beenselected and herein disclosed in conjunction with my apparatus asexemplifying the principles involved.

The painter has a can or other receptacle from which he applies thepaint either with a brush or with a pneumatic applicator, and wheneverhis receptacle requires replenishment he obtains additional paint from acan in which it is received at the shop. Whether he opens a fresh can ortakes his supply from a partially used can,

a thorough mixing is required before the can con-' tents can bewithdrawn into the container used by the painter. This mixing oragitating is customarily done with a paddle or stirrer which isintroduced into the can and by which the user stirs up the contents.Obviously, however, such stirring utilizes a great deal of the painterstime.

A mechanical agitator embodying a mixing re- 1938, Serial No. 194,385

ceptacle into which the paint is poured from the commercial can has alsobeen used to a limited extent, but such practice is unsatisfactory fortwo reasons. First, when the paint is poured from the commercial caninto the mixing receptacle a considerable amount of the pigment whichhas settled to the bottom of the can is left in the can and wasted; andsecondly, each time a change of color agitating, the paint in theoriginal commercial cans the-loss of time and material involved in theuse of a mixing or agitating machine of the character above referred tois eliminated.

Another purpose of my invention is to provide an apparatus which willenable the agitated and therefore adequately mixed paints of whatevercolor desired to be readily withdrawn from the commercial cans not onlywithout the necessity of any hand stirring or agitation but also in sucha way as to avoid slopping or spattering and loss of paint.

With this end in view, my invention contemplates, as a part of theapparatus, specially designed closures or stoppers adapted to replacethe caps by which the commercial cans are normally closed and sealed,these closures being designed to prevent leakage from the cans and beingprovided with manually operable shut-oil valves by which the flow fromthe cans can be smoothly and abruptly cut off so as to obviate dripping.Furthermore, each closure has incorporated in its construction a ventvalve adapted to admit air into the highest point of the interior of thecan as the paint is withdrawn, thereby facilitating a smooth, even flowof the paint from the can without the gurgling and resultant splashingwhich accompanies the pouring of a liquid from a closed invertedreceptacle.

Other objects and many of the inherent advantages of my invention shouldbe readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood byreference to the following description when considered in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

stirring heretofore commonly practiced and by Fig. 1 is a side elevationof an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is substantially an end elevation, although, technically, asectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3,of

.at Fig. 5.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, it will be observed thatthe machine comprises essentially a frame consisting of the endstandards 5 and 6 connected by suitable bracing I and provided with ashelf 8 extending longitudinally of the frame, forwardly of the centerthereof, and located to support a painters can or receptacle 9 inposition to receive a supply of paint from any of the cans contained inthe machine.

Shafts II and I2 journa led in bearings l3 and M respectively carried bythe frame structure are rigidly connected with the end pieces l5 of asupporting frame structure comprising the center rlate I5 and the sidepla es l1 and I8. all rigidly connected together and to the shafts H andI2 so as to revo ve asaun t with the shafts. This revolv ng frame isadapted to carry 'a plurality of commercial cans here illustrated asbeing one gallon square cans l8 and the machine is shown as of acapacity to carry twenty of such cans.

Each of these commercial cans comprises, as best shown in Figs. 3 and 4.an outwardly protruding neck l9 terminating in a flared mouth 2|, which,when the filed can is sh pped from the paint factory, is closed andsealed by a cap or cover applied to and fastened over the mouth. Thiscover is removed from each of the cans which is to be placed in themachineand is replaced by a closure forming part of my apparatus andwhich will later be explained more in detail but at present may be saidto consist of a hollow plug portion 22 adapted to enter the flared mouthof the can and snugly fit the interior of the neck so as to act as astopper and preclude leakage from the mouth. The closure includes aflange portion 23 projecting radially beyond the walls of the neck l9,and this flange is adapted to seat behind the upper portion of sideplate I! viewing Fig. 3 by which accidental dislodgment of the closurefrom the can is precluded when the can is positioned, as shown, betweenthe plates l1 and I8. The plain portion of each of these plates engagesthe bottoms of a series of cans, as shown, while the tops of said canslie back of the opposed portion of the other plate which is providedwith arcuate notches 24 to permit the projection therefor of the bodyportions 25 of the closure members. It will thus be apparent that when aseries ofcans are placed upon the plate l6, as shown, they are supportedthereby in horizontal position and are held against longitudinaldisplacement by the plates l1 and I8, the notch portions of which alsohold the closures against accidental displacement from the can mouths.

The cans are then locked in this position by holding or looking bars 26extending longitudinally of the machine and held in clamping relationwith the loaded cans by means of posts 21 equipped with wing nuts orother fastening devices adapted to hold the bars in position, To

' insure a snug clamping of the cans but without injury. the clampingbars 26 are preferably equipped on their inner faces with strips ofyieldable material such as sponge rubber or the like indicated on thedrawings by reference character 29.

After the upper row of cans has been loaded onto the plate l6 andclamped in position, a half revolution is imparted to the can supportingassembly to dispose the other face of the plate I6 upwardly for thereception of a similar number of cans which are loaded thereon andclamped in position in a similar manner. When completely loaded, theapparatus illustrated carries twenty fllled commercial cans of paint,each provided with a closure member which prevents leakage.

one-half the cans being faced in one direction and the other half in theopposite direction. The shaft I2 is connected through a reductiongearing 3| and a manually controlled clutch 32 with a driving motor 33mounted upon a shelf 34 and controlled by a switch 35. The details ofthese mechanisms are immaterial, it being suflicient to state that theclutch 32 may be manipulated to connect the revolvable, can-carryingframe assembly with the motor 33 and to disconnect it therefrom at will,and the speed reduction gear train mechanism being adapted to reduce thespeed of shaft I2 relatively to the motor speed so that when the motoris running at normal speed, the cans w'll be revolved about the axis ofshafts H and I2 at the proper speed to cause the contents of the cans tobe churned and agitated so as to produce a thorough mixing of suchcontents and a uniform dispersion and intermingling of the paintpigments with the liquid carrier therefor in each pan. The apparatus maybe operated continuously at very slight expense and is adapted tomaintain in a thoroughly agitated and mixed condition ready forimmediate use twenty more or less cans of paint of various colors orcharacters.

All or any desired portion of the contents of any of the cans in theapparatus may be withdrawn for immediate use at any time through itsclosure member, the details of which will now be described.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, it will be seen that body 25 of theclosure member is hollow and provided at its outer end with a port 36through which the can contents may be discharged. The outer face of thebody is machined flat, and a cooperating valve member 31 rotatablymounted upon a stud bolt 38 and urged against the outer face of the body25 by a coil expansion spring 39 is equipped with a notch I I providinga port adapted to register with port 36, thereby affording a dischargeopening from the can. The

valve is operated by a handle 42, and when closed as shown in Fig. 3.the sharp edges of the notch 4| moving across the end, of port 36 willcut off the flow abruptly and smoothly so that no dripping of the paintafter the valve is closed can occur.

In order to preclude gurgling and splashing of the can contents as it isdischarged from the valve and to insure a smooth and even flow when thevalve is open, I have made provision for venting thecan which will nowbe explained.

Upon the inner face of each closure I have mounted a tube 43 extendinginwardly and upwardly to the upper corner of the can when it is inpouring position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In suchposition, the mouth of the can is in its lowest position so that thecontents will flow freely therefrom and the vented corner into which thetube 43 extends is the highest portion of the can. Within this tubethere is disposed a valve stem 44 carrying at its inner end a valve 45adapted to close the inner end of the tube, as illustrated in Fig. 4,under the influence of a spring 46 surrounding that end of the stemwhich projects through and outside the flange of the closure. A nut orother form of abutment 41 is located upon the end of stem 44 againstwhich the spring 46 is biased to hold the valve 45 in closed position.During the agitation, therefore, the tube 63 is closed so that no paintmay enter therein. When withdrawal of the contents of a can is desired,the clutch 32 is thrown out, and the can-carrying frame is brought torest at the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, as previouslyexplained, whereupon a receptacle 9 is disposed beneath the valve of thecan from which the withdrawal is to be made, the valve is opened, andthe stem 44 is pressed inwardly to open valve 45, thereby venting thecan so as to permit a uniform and even flow of contents outwardlythrough port 36. When the desired amount has been withdrawn, stem 44 maybe released and valve 3'! closed, thereby abruptly shutting off the.flow without splashing or dripping.

In Figs. and 6 I have illustrated a modified form of closure and vent inwhich the body 48 of the vent is provided witha pouring port 49 and alsowith a vent port 5! in proximity to the pouring port so that both portswill be closed when the valve 52 is moved to the closed positionindicated in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6. The open position of thevalve which permits simultaneous pouring and venting is illustrated infull lines in Fig. 6. The vent tube 53, in this instance, extends to theuppermost remote corner of the can, or, in other words, to approximatelythe same position in the can as the tube 43, shown in Fig. 3. Shouldsome of the paint enter the tube 53 through its open inner end duringthe agitation of the can contents, such paint will flow out through theport 5| as soon as the valve 52 is opened.

From the foregoing, it will be manifest that I have provided anapparatus by which a number of cans of paint may be simultaneouslyconditioned, that is, rendered homogeneous throughout and maintained inthat condition for immediate use when desired without the necessity offurther mixing or agitation. In addition, my invention provides fordispensing from the apparatus any desired quantity of the conditionedcontents of any selected can without spattering or splashing the sameand also insures a clean cut oif of the stream when the desired quantityhas been dispensed so that loss of paint by dripping is obviated. Theapparatus substantially eliminates loss of the painters time heretoforeoccasioned by the necessity for stirring or otherwise agitating thepaint to condition it for use, and also eliminates loss of paint whichhas heretofore resulted from splashing and spattering .as it was pouredfrom the can and from dripping after discontinuance of the pouring.

The structural details of the apparatus herein shown and described areillustrative merely and are not intended in any manner to circumscrlbethe scope of my invention which is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of arotatable frame including a horizontally disposed, central plate and aside plate along each longitudinal edge of said central plate andextending beyond each face of said central plate to provide a pair ofoppositely disposed holders, each adapted to receive a series of paintcans, the tops of the cans in one series being positioned reversely withrespect to the tops of the cans in the other series, closures for thetops of the cans for both series, means for locking said cans andclosures in said holders, and means for rotating said frame tosimultaneously condition the contents of all of said cans.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aholding frame constructed to receive a plurality of oppositely disposedseries of commercial paint cans, closures for said cans, means forsecuring a' plurality of series of cans and closures in said frame, thecans in one series being reversed endwise with respect to the cans inthe other series, means for rotating said frame to agitate the contentsof said cans, and means carried by said closures and extending above theliquid levels in the cans when disposed in pouring position whereby saidcans may be vented to facilitate the dispensing of the contentstherefrom.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of aframe comprising a central plate, means for locking a plurality of cansagainst opposite faces of said plate, means for rotating said plateabout a central, horizontal axis to agitate the contents of said cans, aclo-. sure for the open end of each can including a manually operableshut-oil. valve' and a venting device for each-closure comprising a tubeextending above the liquid level in a can when in pouring position, anda valve closing the inner end of said tube and operable from outside theclosure to admit air through the tube to the interior of the can.

, 4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of arotatable frame structure, means for clamping a plurality of cans insaid structure, means for rotating the structure to agitate the contentsof the cans, a closure for each can including a manually operablecut-oil valve, and means carried by each closure for venting the can,saidlast mentioned means comprising atube extending from the closure toa remote corner of the can, a stern extending through the closure andtube, a valve carried by the inner end of said stem to close the innerend of the tube and a spring for yieldinglv holding said valve in closedposition,

5. In an apparatus of the character. described, the combination of aframe rotatable about a horizontal axis and adapted to carry a pluralityof receptacles, a closure for each of said receptacles provided with adispensing port, means on the frame for holding said closures in closingrelation to said receptacles, a venting tube carried by each closure andextending into the rethe combination of a frame constructed to carrytending from each vent opening into the can to a point above the liquidlevel in the can when said can is disposed in pouring position, saidvent tubes being removable from the cans with the closures, and manuallyoperable valves for closing 7 and opening the pouring and vent openingsof said closures.

' EDWARD D. HOLMES.

